New titles to give a try...

Learning to Fly
by
Roxanne Henke

New mom, Susan Schaffer, looks down at her newborn daughter, Lily, and wonders if she has what it takes to be a great mom. Each stage seems to bring a new challenge and Susan is filled with doubt. A chance meeting with former classmate, JoJo Nash, also a new mom, gives the two mothers a friendship to help each other, and their daughters, learn and grow. As the girls approach high school graduation their mothers are faced with the question: Are the girls ready to `fly' on their own? Learning to Fly is a novel about living, loving and letting go.

Andrea Sisco of Armchair Interviews.com writes: "All the self-help books or parenting classes in the world will not score a direct hit like Henke's message...a must read for all mothers and mothers-to-be."

Forty to Life
by Dave Jackson

"He came to pay a debt he didn't owe
Because I owed a debt I couldn't pay."

Murderer. It's a word few people ever expect to apply to them. But for fourteen-year-old Ray, it's suddenly a reality. Provoked by a gang leader into the random shooting of an innocent guy, Ray now faces a forty-year sentence in Chicago's infamous prison system. As far as Ray is concerned, it might as well be for life.
In prison, Ray finds his gangbanger ties difficult to escape and even necessary for survival. Just when he's resigned himself to this new existence, though, Ray receives an unexpected gift--forgiveness. Even as he learns that the source of this forgiveness is God, Ray struggles with accepting it. And then the ultimate test comes: When faced with the man who ruined his life, can Ray extend the same forgiveness that has been handed to him?

Reviews

"Forty to Life reads ... like a documentary account ... taking you into life on the mean streets of Chicago." --Randy Brandt, contend4thefaith.org

To read excerpts from these interesting new titles go to Chapter-a-Week !

One of my all-time favorites

I adore Terri Blackstock's writing. If you haven't read any of her books try her latest--TRUE LIGHT, book #3 in the Restoration Series.

Here's a blurb about it: As Oak Hollow grapples with a global power blackout, a teenager is shot in a food robbery. Jailed as the suspect, young Mark Green must prove his innocence to a community that has already judged him in its heart. But the Branning family stands with him as he fights to survive-and forgive.

And to read a chapter from this exciting new title go to ChapterAWeek or purchase it at Amazon.com .

You'll be glad you did.
Traci

Traci's next coming very soon!

You've been asking about it and here it is! My next book A State of Grace book #2 in "Mystery and the Minister's Wife" is releasing soon!

Here's a little bit about it to whet your appetite:

Unveiling her deepest secret could save her daughter's life.

Minister's wife, stained-glass artist, and sometimes sleuth, Kate Hanlon discovers more than she bargained for when she visits a woman whose daughter is battling leukemia. Before she knows it she's on the road uncovering clues that could be the girl's very survival.

Book #2 in "Mystery and the Minister's Wife," A State of Grace picks up where Through the Fire (by Diane Noble) left off as Kate and Paul Hanlon learn about life in small town Tennessee. Follow Kate as she comes to know the town and its inhabitants. Admire her persistence, intelligence, and strength of character as she slowly, but surely, begins to unlock the town's secrets.

About the author: Traci DePree is the author of four novels, including the Lake Emily series by WaterBrook Press. She, her husband, and their five children make their home in a small town in rural Minnesota.

About the series: Each novel in the MYSTERY AND THE MINISTER'S WIFE series is a page-turner, a good old-fashioned "whodunit." They're books that bring truth to light, that reveal dreams, and that show that trust in God always trumps fear and anxiety.

Readers have two options for ordering this book or the series. They can join the series online from the following page: http://shopguideposts.com/product.asp?0=205&1=222&3=368 or they can call the customer service number, which is 1-800-431-2344. There, they can sign up for the series, in which case they will get every book (a new shipment every six weeks), or they can request specific books in the series (i.e. A State of Grace).

Summer time

We're enjoying town life these days. The kids are out of school, which happened early this year in my hometown. Our high school is being renovated so it means an extra month of summer fun. They head to the pool every afternoon with their little sisters to play in the water and buy ice cream from concessions. They sleep in late and stay up late watching movies. Friends come and go through our door in a steady flow.The kids ride their bikes everywhere, including our five year old who adores the newfound skill.

Haley and a friend collected tadpoles from the pond outside our back door. They stood at the muddy edge, stooped over as they scooped up the squirming black babies. Only when the odor of the frog wannabes became too much to bear did I tell her to put them back in the pond!

It's been so wet here in Minnesota that I haven't had much of a chance to plant my garden, which is much smaller than the one I had in the country, though still large for a town plot. I did get tomatoes and peppers in but the frequent rains have turned them yellow so I might have to replant. I did start seeds in the house so when the right time comes I can pop those plants in the ground and be ahead of the game.

This is my favorite time of year. I simply need to remember to slow down enough to enjoy it!
Traci

Returning

So much has happened since I last visited you. It's hard to know where to start. We finally moved to town and sold the farm. While it was sad to say farewell I will always hold those years in my heart as a special time. The memories of cultivating my garden, planting the orchard, fencing the pasture, birthing lambs...they are indeed golden. I recommend it to anyone looking to reconnect with life. I almost said, "simpler life" but that wouldn't be accurate, because there certainly are a lot of complications no matter where you live!

Now we're in town. Town being 4,000 people strong. I'm enjoying setting up our new home, planning our landscaping, getting the know the kids' friends better since they're over much more often, not having to drive the kids everywhere since they can walk. We joined the community center last week. For a small town, this feature is a hub of activity. With a swimming pool, ice skating arena, racquetball courts, basketball courts, exercise room and weight room, and a plethora of classes to choose from this will be a good place to connect with old friends and new. Plus, I could use the exercise! I'm getting older as my kids will attest.

Have a wonderful Monday.
Traci

School's back in session!

I love the first day of school. It's so quiet and peaceful, even with two preschoolers in the house. Don't get me wrong, I adore my three older children. I really do. It's simply a matter of numbers. Five kids to one mom means a certain amount of chaos... and noise. The preschoolers actually take naps when the big sisters aren't here to keep them on the go. I even get the house clean. And when the afternoon comes and the girls come home I'm ready to welcome them home and talk about their day.

Since moving to the country I've had a ritual on the first day of school--my dear friend Marla and I have coffee. It's a pretty simple ritual, actually. Sometimes we go out, sometimes we stay in. This year we had coffee at my house. This is our tenth year of coffeeing. We've seen a lot together. Job changes. Emergencies. Deaths in the family. We've sat around campfires together, reroofed garages together. We've treated each other to birthday treats and flowers. We've watched each others' children grow up, becoming gifted in their various offerings. She's always there for me. I know that if I'm down I can call on her. She does the same.

So, while the first day of school means a quieter home and more contemplation it also means time to reconnect to those who are there through the busyness of life. Because sometimes we just need to do that--to remind ourselves that we're still human through all of this.

I'll be back!

I know it's been forever since I've blogged. Suffice it to say this has been one of the craziest summers ever. With moving (we still haven't sold our current house, but we're closing on the new house September 6th), our two eldest daughters going to Costa Rica with Global Expeditions for the month of June, editing several books, and closing a deal on my next book series, I've barely had time to keep up with laundry much less blogging. Hang in there though. I should be back at it once we're moved and my four eldest are back to school.

I'll tell you more about the upcoming Guideposts Books series in blogs to come, and I'm working on another series proposal that I'm very excited about.

Now, back under my TO DO pile! In the meantime here's a photo of the view from our window.
Warmly,
Traci DePree